The Gilroy Police Department received a $96,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a one-year enforcement and education program, according to authorities.
The grand will fund various law enforcement activities in Gilroy intended to reduce deaths and injuries on the roads. The money will also pay for the purchase of an electronic citation system, Gilroy Police said.
The grant-related activities are for the 2020 federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020.
Gilroy Police said the funding from the OTS will be used for numerous programs, including:
- DUI/driver’s license checkpoints;
- Patrols looking specifically for suspected alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers;
- Patrols targeting violations of California’s hands-free cell phone law and vehicle code violations by drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians that put other roadway users at risk;
- Patrols targeting the primary causes of crashes: Speeding, improper turns, running stop signs or signals, right-of-way violations and driving on the wrong side of the road;
- Creating “Hot Sheets” identifying repeat DUI offenders;
- Officer training to identify suspected impaired drivers and conduct sobriety tests.
“Getting in a vehicle remains one of the most dangerous things we do,” OTS director Barbara Rooney said. “We must continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to shift that realization and make traveling on our roads safer.”
